


daybreak

by goldavn



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: 2hyun - Freeform, Fluff, Love, M/M, Soulmates, ballerina jonghyun, ballerina!AU, mental health, singer/songwriter minhyun, singer/songwriter!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-12 18:37:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12965856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldavn/pseuds/goldavn
Summary: minhyun and jonghyun are performers who are in slumps, in need of something that will pull them out of the darkness. when minhyun sees jonghyun perform its as though his silent prayers have been answered and he finds himself a muse in the least expected place possible - the ballet.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dystopianDebaucher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dystopianDebaucher/gifts).



> ♡ for @/dystopianDebaucher ♡

♫

 

"Get up” Minhyuns manager Choi Minki, gently pulls the blinds of his bedroom halfway open. It allows the first rays of sunlight to bleed into his room for the first time in weeks.

 

“I said, get up!” Minki is concerned, and it is fair enough. Minhyun has been in a slump for a whole year, the after-effects due to a bad accident on stage. The accident had caused an anxiety disorder for Minhyun, which is a daily struggle of his life now. Between self-medicating and hardly moving from his apartment, Minhyun had shut himself away from the world. It was hard for his manager to see him essentially self-destructing. It made Minki wonder every day what he could do to kickstart Minhyun back into a healthy lifestyle.

 

“Minhyun, please get up” Minki stands over him lying in a heap under the duvet. Minhyun stirs, lifting his head from underneath.

 

“I know you are awake” Minki pulls the duvet from Minhyuns body. The singer instinctively covers his clothed body.

 

“Please go away”

 

Minhyun isn't angry. He is never angry. He could never be angry at Minki after all he has done for him the past four years. Instead, he is disappointed, upset at himself. Every time he tries to compose a new piece he cannot make more than a couple of notes. His brain fuzzes out, unable to piece anything together, let alone match lyrics to anything. He has never experienced anything like this in his life, in his musical career. Minki had wondered if it was post-traumatic stress, but Minhyun never let him take him to a doctor out of fear.

 

“Minhyun, this needs to stop” Minki sits next to him on the bed, reaching out to pat his back.

 

“Come on, I have something planned for today”

 

“Can you let me sleep?”

 

“Minhyun, you’re not going to get over this without putting in the effort”

 

Minhyun knows this. He knows, but he physically cannot bring himself to. Every time he tries it doesn’t work out and he is knocked back down, causing him to feel like giving up altogether.

 

“Minki, let’s not do this today yeah? I’m tired” Minki rolls his eyes as he pulls Minhyun up right.

 

“You’re not arguing with me today, we have to be somewhere important soon”

  
“Do I not have a choice?”

 

“Nope”

  
He glances quickly at his nightstand, the pill bottles that litter the flat surface and the empty mugs which had once held water or red wine. He knows Minki is going to spot them if he hasn’t already when he gets out of bed. He feels shame, but there has been nothing else that has been able to aid him in healing let alone getting over the grief that had been caused in the past year.

 

Minhyun reluctantly gets out of bed, walking to the adjoining bathroom. He slams the door shut behind him and he hears Minki yell _fifteen minutes_ as he steps into the shower. He lets the water pelt his skin with the heavy pressure. The feeling is enough to ease him out of his half-sleepy state, nearly enough to coax him into feeling something. Anything.

 

He styles his hair roughly, reaching for cologne for the first time in months. Minhyun looks at himself in the mirror and he can barely recognize himself. He is so used to wearing the same pajamas for weeks straight and not touching the shower for days on end.

 

 He wears simple jeans and an oversized jumper which reaches just below his knees. It is a simple attire, and the look on Minkis face as Minhyun enters the room again is priceless. He has to hide his eyes as they well up from tears. It is the closest thing to the old Minhyun Minki has seen in a long time, stirring his stomach into knots.

 

“You look… nice” Minki beams at him. Minhyun can tell he is more than impressed with his appearance, and it almost makes Minhyun himself tear up.

 

“Thank you. So, are we going or not?”

 

“You’re going to love this Minhyun, I swear”

 

“I’m not sure about that hyung”

 

“Hwang Minhyun. Trust me, you will”

 

Minhyun is feeling uneasy, he can feel his chest developing the heaviness it does when Minhyun feels pressured or anxious. He hopes Minki is right, and that his efforts will not go to waste today. Little did he know today would be the start of his recovery, and in turn, the start of a blossoming love - unlike anything Minhyun had felt before in his twenty-two years of existence.

 

♫

 

 

_The theatre is intimidating to Minhyun from the moment he steps inside. Even though he is used to performing and the stage in the past, the mere sight of one sends shivers down his spine. He has an overwhelming feeling of dread fill him up, reminders of the accident flashing before his eyes as the lights flicker above the stage._

_It had been like any solo fan meeting Minhyun had been holding for the past three years of his career. As his career has spiked in popularity he has been holding more and bigger fan meetings both in Seoul and around the global. It is hard to do as a solo artist but he made it happen, and his manager couldn’t think of anything better for his client and best friend (because what type of a manager wouldn’t be happy for the success of the person they are managing)._

_It had started off as usual, Minhyun opening the fan meeting with an acoustic song, followed by one on the piano and the eventual greeting to the audience with any translators if need it be. It was when he was into the fifth song of the night that Minhyun had felt something was off. He has always trusted in his intuition since he had been a young child, never had any of his feelings of things being off been wrong, in fact, they had always been right. So, when he felt that feeling during while he was singing he automatically started assessing his surroundings, anything to reassure himself that it might just be a false feeling – perhaps just nerves._

_Normally he would get Minki to ask the staff members to double check all equipment and safety regulations before the show had started. On this day, they didn’t have time to check everything but had told Minki and Minhyun otherwise. Minhyun was able to finish the fifth song with ease, slowly putting the thoughts to the back of his mind._

_The last song is where everything went wrong._

_Minhyun sat at the piano on stage once more, starting the cover version of popular song Never by an idol group on a survival show at the time. He was halfway through the song when he heard static echo through his earpiece. Unsure of the strange noise, he lifted a hand off the piano trying to get the noise out as it was increasing in volume by the second. Just as Minhyun removes the earpiece from his ear, fireworks that had planned to go off after the song finished went off early, coming straight onto the stage rather than in the air. It was all so fast and a blur of flashing colours, Minhyun trying to aim for cover. The fireworks hit a cable holding a set of stage lights and had sent them tumbling down onto the piano Minhyun had been sitting at. Minhyun, unable to move quickly had his ankle trapped under the upper side of the collapsed piano. Screams from fans and staff members had filled the air with animosity, panic, and despair. They bleed into each other and Minhyun remembers thinking it must be a dream it all must be a dream._

 

He was lucky enough to escape the situation with hardly any injuries, only suffering from a rolled ankle and bruises. If Minhyun had kept the earpiece in, who knows what could have happened, or how it would have ended…

 

♫

 

 

Ever since Minhyun has been troubled by anxiety due to the thought of a similar accident happening. It is a consuming pit that doesn’t let him leave, bright lights or sudden exposure to light can set him off, even if it is around people he should feel safe with.

 

Minki’s approach to Minhyun is always in his best interests, he would never want to inflict any un-needed pain on him. That is why he thought of taking Minhyun to the theatre. It is dim most of the time and will hopefully prove to Minhyun that the accident simply was an accident and will not repeat itself.

 

They settle into the middle row of the theatre, Minki’s director friend coming to approach them.

 

“Ah, Choi Minki! Great to see you!” the man leans over the row to shake his manager’s hands.

 

“Aron! Yes, likewise. It has been too long” the man, Aron, finds his eyes resting on Minhyun.

 

“And you must be Minhyun! I love your music!”

 

Minhyun smiles awkwardly, bowing in gratitude.

 

“So, if I remember correctly, this is your rendition of Swan Lake isn’t it?”

 

Minki and Aron start conversing over the ballet, while Minhyun stays quiet, absorbing the surroundings. He looks over the staff members setting up the stage for the rehearsal and he spies a lone man, probably his age, sitting closer to the stage.

 

 _Perhaps a friend of a performer?_ Minhyun thinks to himself.

 

Aron bows to the pair, excusing himself to get the rehearsal started. Minki starts quietly explaining to him the concept of Swan Lake as if Minhyun had no knowledge of it at all. He sits and listens, nodding his head a few times before the lights dim completely and slow orchestra music starts playing throughout the theatre. Minhyun notices the boy close to the stage squirming in his seat, eager eyes focused on the stage.

 

A ballerina dressed in an elaborate black outfit adorned with sequins comes bounding out onto the stage… and that ballerina is breathtaking. The moment the music starts, Minhyun cannot take his eyes off him, completely and utterly focused on him.

 

His movements are truly grace-ful. They are exact to the swans which he is embodying, his body bending in ways only years of practice you prepare him for. One moment his eyes are light and full of pride, the next they are dark and filled with unwanted desire – the black swan. His movements are unreal, Minhyun’s eyes cannot stop following him, even when the scene comes to an end and the lights have dimmed. He finds himself searching for any movement from the ballerina on stage.

 

They are unlike anything he has seen before – the movements the ballerina had performed on stage. It was filled with passion and an unsure desire of the attention from the audience. It is the same feeling Minhyun had felt, still feels, he knows it too well.

 

As he searches for any sign of movement on the stage he feels eyes on him, and sure enough, the boy by the stage is looking at him with a curious look on his face. He nods at Minhyun, greeting him before walking out of the row to go backstage.

 

_Strange._

 

“W-Who was that?” Minhyun asks Minki, he had almost forgotten his manager had been sitting next to him the whole time.

 

“Which one?”

 

“The Swan”

 

“Oh! That’s Jonghyun, he’s the most accomplished dancer here”

 

“I see” Minhyun says, processing the name.

 

_Jonghyun._

 

♫

 

**[TW: light blood and bruises]**

 

The moment he comes off the stage he heads straight for the restrooms. He’s dizzy, overwhelmed, and most of all he’s tired. He hasn’t eaten all day and hardly drunk any water like he had been told too.

 

Jonghyun leans over the sink after carefully locking the private restroom behind him. He lets out a shaky breath, closing his eyes and he wills the stars behind his eyes to fade. He almost has it when there is a loud bang against the door.

 

“Come on Jonghyun, open up” the voice is gentle and worried and belongs to his best friend, Ong Seongwoo.

 

“Ah fuck” he whispers under his breath. He moves slowly towards the door, unlocking the latch with a sharp ping.

 

Seongwoo comes barging in, a small first aid kit and water bottle in hand.

 

“Oh come on, Seongwoo I’m not -“

 

“How long have we been friends? I know when you’re lying. Now take off the pointe shoes”

 

Jonghyun scoffs, unwillingly sitting on top of a stool by the sink. He unwinds the ribbon and gently pulls the shoes off to reveal lightly red stained stockings underneath. He hears Seongwoo inhale as he pulls the stocking down, revealing the split skin on part of his toe from the shoes. The rest of his toes are blotchy from bruises from the constant pressure from the shoe, as well as the contact with the floor and never-ending practicing.

 

“I thought I told you to take care of these” Seongwoo says, gently rubbing an alcohol wipe over the fresh wound. Jonghyun hisses in pain from the contact against the raw skin, biting his lip hard in the process.

 

“Jonghyun-ah, you push yourself too hard” Seongwoo murmurs, gently continuing his nursing of his best friend.

 

“If I don’t, I’ll get kicked out. You know that Seongwoo” Jonghyun looks away as the words come out his mouth, the harsh reality of the ballet world will always be a bitter taste in his mouth.

 

“But if you crash and burn or get injured then there is no way you’ll be allowed back anytime soon either”

 

Seongwoo rests on his knees as he holds Jonghyun’s bruised feet in his hands. The pair had been best friends since kindergarten, barely able to be separated. Where Seongwoo is bright and bubbly and much like a class clown, Jonghyun is the perfect balance to calm down his somewhat erratic personality.

 

“I know…” his voice is quiet and empty to the ear, worrying Seongwoo further.

 

“You’re coming straight home and eating one of my marvelous creations okay? Then we are going to watch Pokémon and have an early night okay?”

 

Jonghyun rolls his eyes at his best friend but accepting the offer as he knows there will be no way out of it.

 

“Oh! Before I forget, there was some celebrity I think watching the rehearsal earlier, perhaps you know him?”

 

“And why would I know said celebrity?”

 

“Because he was staring you down like you were his next meal”

 

Jonghyun almost chokes on his saliva. He kicks at Seongwoo’s hands with his free foot, only to have it snatched up.

 

“I’m not joking! Look out for him in tomorrows practice. That’s if he even _comes_ again”

 

“Do you know who it could be?”

 

“I thought it looked like that singer guy, what was his name? He had an accident and never came back to the music scene. Minhyuk? Minsoo? Min -“

 

“Minhyun!?”

 

“Ah! That’s the one”

 

“You’re kidding…”

 

“I swear I’m not”

 

Hwang Minhyun. _The_ Hwang Minhyun.

 

“Like I said wait till tomorrow. Until then, let’s get going okay”

 

Seongwoo helps Jonghyun up, letting his friend put his weight on his side. The whole drive to their apartment all Jonghyun could think about is the possibility that Hwang Minhyun, singer/songwriter of 2016 was watching his performance and loving.

 

Tomorrow couldn’t come any sooner.

 

 

♫

 

It is a miracle. Instead of coming home from the theatre just to crawl into bed like he normally would after an outing, Minhyun finds himself sitting at the piano. There is a notebook and pen placed next to him and he stares at the keys lying in front him.

 

He really didn’t expect to be so inspired by his outing today and is eagerly waiting for something, anything to jump into his mind. He can’t remember much of his process for writing since the accident, an after effect of the trauma.

 

He feels bits and pieces of melodies float in and out of his body but there is one that sticks. He plays the keys gently, mimicking the sound he had come across inside his head. It’s an ethereal sound, almost faerie-like. He plays around with the arrangement and surprises himself with coming up with two full bars of lyrics with a beat to go with it. He sits at his piano, smiling giddily to himself in the dark. The words are scrawled across his notebook with the piano notes to match.

 

Minhyun is proud, to say the least, and he’s more than happy with what he has been able to churn out. He texts Minki, asking if he can go to the theatre without him tomorrow, to which Minki gladly agrees. If this was what Minki had in mind when he set the outing up, then Minhyun has his whole life to repay him for letting him have just a _sliver_ of normality back in his life. He looks at the words he has written, deciding to call it a night – not wanting to overdo himself.

 

Instead of pouring himself a wine like usual, or having a sleeping aid, he lies in bed staring out the window. The stars in the sky shine bright, much like Minhyun had once before.

 

Perhaps it is a sign, a start of something new. Perhaps the new Hwang Minhyun is just getting started. He thinks over the lyrics one more time as he lulls himself to sleep, the lyrics echoing over and over:

 

_“from the moon, to the stars  
while lingering in the universe”_

 

 

♫


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seongwoo is literally like my irl best friend, i love them both

♫

 

The morning dew is only starting to collect and Jonghyun has already been practising for hours. He woke at three in the morning to head to the ballet academy, figuring he could get in some lone practice before the other dancers started filing in for the day. He had let himself in with his own key and started doing the thing he knows best – ballet.

 

He has a bad habit of focusing too much on his reflection in the mirror, focusing on his steps rather than practising without his reflection to rely on. Fatigue isn’t something he likes to notice so he pushes himself to the limit, and today was just one of those regular days.

 

He stops the music for a very brief break, sitting on the floor to stretch while sipping on his water. He almost chokes when he sees the door opening and Seongwoo approaching him.

 

“Jonghyun, I thought I told you that you should be resting” Seongwoo whines as he sits next to the ballerina, observing the sweat collected under his mop of a fringe.

 

Jonghyun would like to think he has the energy to talk back, fight Seongwoo’s nagging like he normally does. Today, however, there is a voice in his head yelling at him saying _maybe you should listen, just this once._ He nods his head, continuing to sip on his water bottle.

 

“Jonghyun, seriously. Let’s go get breakfast and then you can go to the rehearsal okay”

 

“You know it’s not good to eat before exercise, idiot”

 

“Just a scrambled egg? Anything is better than nothing”

 

He’d really rather not but the way Seongwoo is pleading with him makes me feel obligated, that just this once he will listen to his best friend.

 

“Fine. But just one”

 

“I know the perfect place”

 

♫

 

Minhyun takes it back. He _does_ hate Minki. Who in their right mind would wake up their client at seven in the morning to drag them into a café, just for the hell of it. Here he is, still in what he somewhat can call pyjamas with a fully dressed up Minki in front of him skimming over the breakfast menu. Minhyun stares at his manager who is so dumbly smug that he had actually managed to get him out of the house.

 

“So, what do you fancy?” Minki looks up at him, placing down his menu.

 

“Going home”

 

“No. That is not on the menu”

 

“Well it is on mine”

 

“Minhyun, we are here because we are going to the rehearsal again because you wanted to”

 

“I don’t know why that means I had to be here for breakfast with you when I could have had another hour or two of sleep”

 

Minhyun has a point, and a very good one. But it is a point Minki would rather ignore due to the inside information he had received from Aron. After Minhyun’s clear infatuation of the dancer yesterday, Minki had approached Aron about said, dancer. Minki doesn’t know how he keeps such a good track of the dancers but he was informed this morning that the dancer and a friend would be coming here for breakfast. Minki doesn’t think he’d ever scrambled out of bed that fast or early himself.

 

So here they are, at a two person table, Minki awaiting the arrival of the dancer. They start to discuss small talk topics, how the weather might be later on, what did you eat last night until the bell jingles as the café door opens. Minki watches intently as the dancer, Jonghyun, makes his way in with his friend. They take a table behind Minki, much to his dismay, however, Minhyun is met with a full view of him. His eyes bulge as he coughs on his water and Minki has to stifle a laugh.

 

“What’s wrong with you?”

 

Minhyun simply shakes his head, forcing the last of his water down.

 

“Nothing” he chokes out.

 

“So you choked on your own spit?”

 

The comment makes Minhyun choke once more and the sight is hilarious. Minki gets out of his seat and slightly pats Minhyuns back until the fit finishes.

 

“You’re so embarrassing” he mutters as he scans the menu in front of him.

 

“I thought you said you weren’t going to eat?”

 

“Well I guess I’m hungry now”

 

Minhyun looks over Minki’s shoulder, met with the image of Jonghyun scratching his neck and looking around the café until his eyes fall on Minhyun.

 

_“Fuck”_

 

 

♫

 

Jonghyun sits at the table in the café and watches as Seongwoo looks over the menu while licking his lips. He’d much rather be back at the studio, but when it comes to Seongwoo he can’t help but feel guilty when the boy points out all the things that Jonghyun does wrong. Not wrong as in the sense they are incorrect but wrong in the sense that he pushes himself way too far and it’s always been that way – and impossible to stop.

 

He scratches his neck as he takes in the cafés surroundings. Brown walls and orange lighting which is almost romantic, setting a relaxing and sombre atmosphere for the early morning customers. His eyes drift over a surprising sea of heads that are seated at the tables when he finds himself resting his eyes on a pair that are resting right back on his own. The guy is none other than Hwang Minhyun.

 

The singer doesn’t look his usual self and it’s surprising. The media hadn’t been able to snag any photos of him over the past year and that’s probably to do with his hermit status he had earnt over social media. He looks fatigued, with dark rings circling his lower lids, much like Jonghyun's own. For a renowned singer, he still does look handsome, breathtaking regardless of the fatigue on his body. He was dressed in the simplest of attires yet looked enticing and ethereal at the same time. Jonghyun doesn’t believe his eyes when the singer looks back at him and his eyes bulge, his lips opening and saying something he can’t quite make out. He diverts his eyes elsewhere, the feeling of having Minhyun’s on his own is overwhelming, so Seongwoo is the next best thing to ease his racing heartbeat.

 

“What?” Seongwoo queries. Jonghyun motions over his shoulder when he notices Minhyun is now looking away and talking with whoever it is at the table with him. Seongwoo looks and has to cover his mouth with such force you’d think the guy had the need to vomit.

 

“Bro! That’s the guy who was there yesterday! Hwang Min fricking Hyun!” Seongwoo loudly whispers as he jumps up and down in his seat, being totally obvious and making Jonghyun squirm.

 

“Stop it, he’ll see you”

 

“Why do you care?”

 

“Uh, because I just caught him kinda staring at me”

 

Seongwoo lets out some oddly girlish squeal mixed with a ‘booyah’. It makes Jonghyun think this is what his best friend has been waiting for all along.

 

“Can you stop!?” Jonghyun says curtly, smacking his hand across the table.

 

“He’s still hot even after being a hermit” Seongwoo chuckles, and Jonghyun thinks he is about to turn around again to get a better look. It’s no secret Seongwoo is gay, however the way he approaches men is rather on the straight side, all talk and no signs of emotion anywhere. However, when Seongwoo finds a man that he’d rather take home for reasons not to be discussed in a public place, Jonghyun is all too familiar with the behaviour that comes with that particular thought process. And that is exactly the behaviour he is exhibiting now. It shouldn’t make him feel jealous because he doesn’t even know the guy, but it feels like he had first dibs of some sort. Minhyun was looking at _him_ after all.

 

“Shut up he might hear you loudmouth”

 

“Hey I know that’s what they call me in bed but-“

 

Thankfully Seongwoo’s profanities were silenced by the waiter who had approached their table. The waiter takes their orders, Jonghyun's single scrambled egg and Seongwoo’s big breakfast before moving onto the table behind them. Minhyuns table. He observes the way the singer addresses the waiter like any normal person would. He even sees the waiter give him a dirty look. It’s then that Jonghyun meets his eyes once more. And boy, he would give up anything to see those eyes looking back at him.

 

♫


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2hyun get deep in the bathroom, what a surprise.
> 
> seongwoo is lowkey a third wheeler im sorry lmfao

♫

 

Minhyun had finished ordering his meal with a really rude staff member when he feels himself being watched. He doesn’t want to look because he _knows_ it has to be Jonghyun. After a few minutes of talking about what colour Minki wanted to dye his hair next, he felt the same feeling of being watched coming from in front of him. He looked past Minki’s shoulder to find Jonghyun gazing over once more. He is not sure how to act and impulsively gives the man a smile before turning back to Minki. He hopes it will come off as one of the smiles you sometimes receive from strangers – those of acknowledgement and to make sure they don’t look like blunt assholes. Much to Minhyun’s surprise the man smiles back, one of his bottom teeth catching onto his top lip, and not to mention the soft pink flush on his cheeks. It is so natural and something Minhyun has missed, it seems like he may be a fan otherwise this man really just loves the attention from another man.

 

Minki watches him turn his gaze back, meeting him with assuming eyes.

 

“Like what you see?” he tuts, smacking his lips around the rim of his orange juice glass.

 

“I swear to god I’m going to – “

 

Minhyun wants to swear. He doesn’t normally but on this occasion, it only seems fitting because the guy Jonghyun is sitting with has turned around and tapping Minki on the shoulder.

 

“You’re one of Aron’s friend’s, aren’t you?” the guy asks.

 

“Yes, are you?”

 

The guy laughs. “No, but my friend here is” he states, pointing to Jonghyun across the table. He straightens up when the attention is turned to him and seems to be having a hard time making eye contact.

 

“Yeah, he’s familiar. Jonghyun right? One of the dancers?” Minki wonders, stretching a hand out to their table. Minhyun thinks management isn’t really Minki’s forte right now because he is putting on an Oscar worthy performance. Minki knows exactly who Jonghyun is and it baffles him as to why he is acting so… dumb?

 

Jonghyun blushes and returns the outstretched hand with a shake.

 

“Yes, that’s me”

 

It’s obvious he’s nervous, the way he is avoiding eye contact and has visibly heated up. He raises his hands and does some weird hand gestures towards Minhyun. Normally people here would find that type of a gesture but Minhyun finds himself thinking how cute it is.

 

“You’re Minhyun right? I was a fan”

 

Now it’s his own turn to blush. “A-ah, yeah. I’m surprised you recognise me” he puts down to his clothing and laughs awkwardly.

 

As they are talking the waiter arrives with Jonghyun and his friend, Seongwoo’s food. His friend has a big plate yet he notices Jonghyun’s is a single scrambled egg. He is about to say something when his own food arrives, and he had forgotten he had ordered the exact same thing. Seongwoo’s eyes bulge when he sees Minhyun’s plate. He looks between his and Jonghyun’s and starts chuckling.

 

“What?” Minhyun asks, dumbfounded.

 

“Who would have thought a popular celebrity and my Jonghyunie would have something in common like this”

 

Yeah, who would have thought?

 

 

♫

 

As soon as they finish their breakfast Jonghyun heads off. He says goodbye to Minhyun and makes a note to curse Seongwoo out later. Seongwoo had dropped him off as he had errands to run, but he wishes Jonghyun luck and promises to take Jonghyun out for his favourite hotpot for dinner later on.

 

When he arrives at the rehearsal venue he tries his best to put this morning past him. He knows he needs to be in a calm state before going on the stage otherwise he won’t perform well – at all. He does his breathing exercises, his normal stretches, he even takes longer to point on his pointe shoes than usual. All the while he cannot stop thinking about Minhyun and about the way the singer spoke to him as a human regardless of his status, he actually saw something similar in the way Minhyun had looked into him.  Maybe it was the hurt or the discomfort or maybe it was just the tiredness you couldn’t help but notice about him. He dances two of the scenes effortlessly, even though all he can think of is Minhyun. Maybe it is because he is star struck or maybe it is because no-one has ever made Jonghyun think twice apart from Seongwoo.

 

 He is about to come on stage for the third scene when he feels slightly dizzy. He takes a sip of water and downs a few small candies to get his blood sugar up. When the music starts and he is supposed to start a flurry or pirouettes, he feels a presence of someone in the hall. Minhyun is sitting near the stage, his eyes focused on Jonghyun.

 

He finishes his spins and as he comes down from the air to being still he comes over hot and dizzy. He tries to ground himself quickly, get his bearings but before he knows it he loses his footing and blackness filled with stars glaze over his line of sight.

 

 

Everything that could possibly go _wrong_ goes wrong _._

 

♫

 

 

Minhyun is waiting outside the dressing room when Jonghyun finally works up the courage to leave. He is limping and as he opens the dressing room door he bumps into the tall man.

 

“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry” he tentatively says, accidentally putting more weight on his sore foot. Minhyun holds a hand out to steady the dancer, Jonghyun taking comfort in the action.

 

“No, I should be the one who is sorry. Are you okay? That was a nasty fall”

 

Jonghyun is thankful that Minhyun at least sounds genuine. Normally it would be Seongwoo here, comforting him, dressing his wounds. It’s the one day Seongwoo couldn’t make that something had to go wrong, but thankfully Minhyun had been here.

 

“Where you off to?”

 

“I was actually going to just freshen up…”

 

“Do you need any help?” Minhyun asks. It’s awkward and he probably shouldn’t have asked but Jonghyun smiles and tells him to lead the way. He settles into the normal bathroom he normally goes to, pulling out the stool from underneath the sink. Minhyun watches as Jonghyun untangles his pointe shoes and has difficulty pulling his right shoe off due to the swelling underneath.

 

“Here, let me” Minhyun says, bending down to rest on his knees in front of him. Jonghyun doesn’t mean to but he instinctively kicks at Minhyun’s hands, the pain from the swelling riding up the muscle of his calf. Minhyun merely looks at him before firmly holding onto his foot, releasing the skin from the tightness of the ribbons. He gasps as he sees the bruising not just from today’s fall but probably months of trauma. There are scars littering the man’s toes, ankles and even up past his arciles heal. Jonghyun looks away as Minhyun takes some damp toilet paper and grazes over some weeping cuts from the pointe shoes and tries to gently rub circles around the bruising on his ankle, hoping it would help release any further knots in the muscle.

 

“Y-You don’t have to, Seongwoo normally – “

 

“Well, Seongwoo isn’t here so we are going to have to make do won’t we” Minhyun says. He releases Jonghyun’s foot to let him splash water over his face, the liquid dampening the strands of his bangs that have come loose. He looks behind him, to Minhyun still kneeled on the floor.

 

“Is it normal?” Minhyun asks. Jonghyun wants to tell him no. He wants to tell him that being a ballerina is carefree. He wants to tell him that he can feel all the feeling in his toes and that he isn’t prone to ankle injuries at least three times a year.

 

“Sort of”

 

“And you still do it? Dance I mean?”

 

“It might sound cliché but it is the only thing I know. The only thing I know I’m kind of good at”

 

“I think you’re more than just kind of good”

 

“I wouldn’t be able to believe that coming from someone as famous as you” Jonghyun says. It is baffling. He can’t seem to believe that Minhyun is interested in him even when he is a ballerina. It isn’t even romantic yet Jonghyun can still sense the empathy in Minhyun’s voice.

 

“Surely people tell you how good you are daily”

 

“You’re right, but I can’t seem to bring myself to believe them”

 

“As a fellow performer,” Minhyun scratches his neck, “- I can understand that. We only believe it when we ourselves have accepted or decided we are good enough”.

 

It’s words Jonghyun hasn’t heard in a long time. Seongwoo is amazing at comforting him but as he has never been anything similar to a performer he can’t quite grip the understanding of what it is like to feel as though every move you make will be critically analysed by at least a few people in the audience.

 

“Did you ever get nervous… you know, when you used to perform”

 

The question makes Minhyun think hard. He was a stickler for routine, for health and safety regulations and due to his gut feeling he only ever got nervous if he could feel something was off.

 

“It depended on the situation, but it’s normal. For us, I guess we are seen as these dolls almost, that are always perfect and bred for perfection… but we are still human”

 

Jonghyun nods in agreeance. It is surely refreshing talking with someone who gets it first hand. Minhyun had been one of, if not the hottest singer in twenty sixteen, and easily could have become a global sensation. Jonghyun can still recount the scene at the concert where everything had gone wrong. He doesn’t know if it is some kind of twisted fate that he is here talking to Minhyun now but he could never forget the look on the singer’s face when the lights came crashing down on stage. Jonghyun doesn’t think it is appropriate to bring up the thought, especially when it is the wide known reason as to why Minhyun had stopped being in the industry. Jonghyun felt sorry for him. ‘ _Wasted potential’_ Seongwoo had once told him.

 

“Is it okay?”

Jonghyun shakes his head. “It’ll take the night and maybe a couple of days but it will be okay. Trust me it happens every few months” Jonghyun sighs. He stands from the stool, Minhyun helping him up and clutching his shoes.

 

“So where am I leading you? Do you need to practice more or are you going home?” Minhyun questions. He really is _refreshing._

 

“I’m supposed to be meeting Seongwoo for dinner…”

 

“Oh, well shall I help you there or – “

 

“I mean, you can join us if you like”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Well you just touched my feet I mean I have to repay you somehow” Jonghyun laughs.

 

“Sounds delightful”

 

It is is the first time Jonghyun has heard a giggle come from the singer’s mouth since his hiatus from the stage. It feels like the Hwang Minhyun he was a fan of is finally seeping through the cracks of his damaged aura.

 

 

♫

 

Minhyun has never had a hotpot that tasted this good before. The shrimp was tender and juicy and accompanied by the different flavours of spice, ginger and the marinated tofu melted into his taste buds easier than anything before. The vibe of the restaurant was cosy, like one of those family restaurants that you went to as a kid. Even better, his company had surprised him entirely. Seongwoo was actually a really funny and lovely guy, not that he had thought otherwise but once you start talking with him he is one those people you can’t see yourself ever to stop liking. They’ve had a few drinks to accompany their food and the warmth is starting to spread over his body.

 

They’re all slightly buzzed and sharing childhood stories with one another. Apparently, Seongwoo’s was the highlight of losing his virginity before all of his friends, Jonghyun included, and Minhyun doesn’t really think he wanted that visual ingrained in his head. Jonghyun was telling Minhyun about he had first gotten into ballet, and the way it just seemed to let him let go of his stress, even if it gave him more stress due to the training and lifestyle that is that of a ballerina. Jonghyun had also confided in him, telling him that he actually likes to muck around rapping in his spare time. Minhyun thinks it suits him after all, the man does have a unique sounding voice and if that was used to rap, Minhyun thinks he could easily steal all of his fangirls and boys.

 

“Rap for me! I want to hear” Minhyun encourages Jonghyun, even through his flushed cheeks and slightly slurred words.

 

Jonghyun starts into a rendition of some song Minhyun has never heard before and it makes him wonder if it is self-composed. Minhyun is in awe, infatuated and downright tipsy over his voice. 

 

While listening to Jonghyun rap softly to Seongwoo’s beatbox, an array of lyrics start muddling through his head. It takes him by surprise and as this doesn’t happen usually he has to excuse himself for a bathroom break. He locks himself in the cubicle and pulls out his phone. He navigates to his notes app and quickly jots down the words that have been resonating in his head. There is no way he will ignore Jonghyun if this is the effect the man has on him. Jonghyun is his very own muse;

 

 

 _“We got to know each other.  
We slide on the paint, _ _that spread while drawing”_

 

 

♫


	4. Chapter 4

♫

 

The next day Minhyun waits for Jonghyun to arrive at the rehearsal hall. He waits until he finishes and aids Seongwoo is tending to his wounds. It’s a common occurrence and it goes on for months.

 

Day after day Minhyun turns up to the rehearsals of the play. It is until when Minhyun proposes something to Jonghyun that he feels thrown off.

 

“Really? You want me? On your single?”

 

Minhyun nods. Jonghyun’s rap skill is more than enough use to him, let alone his title as Minhyun’s unofficial muse and his skills at ballet.

 

“Of course I do… please… you have so much talent…”

 

They’re in Minhyun’s apartment, sipping wine and eating crackers and the mood is nothing but right.

 

“Have you ever thought of doing anything else other than dancing for the ballet?”

 

“No, I haven’t” Jonghyun whispers. They’re sitting on the couch, glasses in hand, eyes on each other.

 

“You should really consider it”

 

“Why?

 

Minhyun could think of a million things to say. He knows what he _wants_ to say. But the only thing he can fit out is, “Because you’re so special, Jonghyun-ah”.

 

Minhyun had never felt comfortable enough around anybody like this. He doesn’t know why it feels like it is suddenly forty degrees or why his tongue is tingling. So as weird as it is when he closes the distance between him and Jonghyun it feels like the most plausible thing in the world. The moment he tastes Jonghyun’s lips is the moment he feels himself falling, completely and utterly under his spell. He wants to ravish in the feeling of his lips, all soft and plump flesh that tasted like heaven on earth.  He’s careful but controlling with his movements, sliding apart his lips with his tongue. Jonghyun keens into his touch, grabbing a hold of the collar of Minhyuns shirt. He grips it so harshly that Minhyun can feel himself being pulled further into Jonghyun, the force of it sending them tumbling onto the sofa. Jonghyun has fallen into Minhyuns lap, his nimble thighs either side of his own. Minhyun traces the sides of Jonghyun’s jaw as he leans in to continue their moulding of lips, a tent slowly building inside of his track pants. When Jonghyun feels the hard on beneath him he moans into their kiss, gasping as he rolls his hips in return.

 

“A-ahhh” he breathes out when Minhyun changes his attention from Jonghyun’s lips to the curve of his neck. He grinds against Minhyun’s thigh, making himself harden against the mans skin.

 

“D-don’t stop” he stutters as he removes his shirt. Minhyun makes his advances, removing Jonghyuns shirt and training shorts.

 

“I-I don’t plan to”

 

 

♫

 

 

While he lies awake with Jonghyun in his arms, he thinks over the times they’ve shared these past few months. While he’s tracing stars into the bare arms of the boy, the words dance around his mind like the movements Jonghyun performs on stage. They were the finishing touches, the final words that needed to come for the song to finally be finished. It was a miracle and it is all because of the ballerina right in front of him;

 

 

 

 _“tonight with you,_  
I want to fly in my dreams.  
tonight come to me,  
before the morning comes”

 

 

♫

 

 

After a year and five months, Hwang Minhyun _has come back_ , and he is not _alone_. When the news broke that he would be releasing a single album and was collaborative, the fans and media went into a frenzy. Minhyun could barely leave his apartment. 

 

The music video had dropped at midnight, and even though it was nine o’clock the next morning, the video was sitting on ten million views. Ten _million._ Whether it was the aesthetic of the video, his blonde hair or the beautiful now blue haired boy he shared the screen with, it didn’t matter because Minhyun was finally back. Jonghyun had arrived at his door early hours of the morning, having avoiding the paparazzi camped outside his apartment. He’d arrived in tears collapsing into his arms. He was no longer Kim Jonghyun – ballerina, but, Kim Jonghyun – rapper and dancer. He sobs into Minhyun’s arms holding him tight during the early morning hours.

 

“You’re a star. A real star” Minhyuns whispers, stroking his hair. The media loves Jonghyun, as much or even more than they love Minhyun. Having a refreshing start with little to no background in the industry is rare and he has taken the media by storm – completely.

 

“Onwards and upwards Jonghyunie, just you wait”

 

♫

 

 

** One Year Later ( mv anniversary day) **

 

Jonghyun wakes first. It is always like this these days, a habit he hasn’t been able to quite shake. As his body clock is still not getting used to life outside of the ballerina lifestyle, Jonghyun had been having a hard time adjusting. However, he wouldn’t trade it in for anything else as he gets to witness first hand the moment Minhyun opens his sleep-crusted eyes, cheeks flushed from the heat of the blanket.

 

“Hey, sleepy head” Jonghyun whispers, brushing stray hairs out of Minhyun’s eyes. He moves down the bed, resting his head on top of Minhyun’s bare chest.

 

“Hey baby”

 

Minhyun places kisses atop his boyfriend’s hair gently brushing his fingers up and down is arms. He kisses his cheeks and his forehead, a morning tradition of his.

 

“How was your sleep?”

 

“It is alright” Jonghyun says, rolling out of the bed towards the bathroom.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Brush my teeth, silly”

 

Jonghyun walks into the bathroom. He spots his tooth brush but doesn’t understand why it is shining. As he gets closer he sees a ring on the head of it and he almost falls over. Tears brim at his eyes as he pulls the ring out. He fits it on his ring finger and the tears drop. He walks out of the bathroom, wandering towards Minhyun.

 

“I-I,w-what is-“ He starts to question. Minhyun doesn’t need to be prompted any further.

 

_“Like when the day breaks at dawn, I wouldn’t want any one else by side than you …”_

 

“Minhyun… are you?”

 

“Yes I am”

 

Jonghyun moves closer to him anticiapting his words, eager to hear the slip his lips, finally.

 

“Kim Jonghyun…” Minhyun hums. He places a kiss to his cheek before taking his hands in his own.

 

 

_“Marry me”_

 

_♫_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can reach me at twitter and curious cats through the user @/goldavnao3

**Author's Note:**

> this prompt has been so fun to make and out of my comfort zone. i can't wait for you to see the finished product.
> 
> ♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡♡ ♡♡♡


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